“I’m not certain it will work,” I said. “It’s not… not ethical. I’m not sure she’ll even wake long enough to accept us.”
Thorn’s hand landed on my shoulder. “I would trust your best guess over many men’s confident assertions. What does your intuition tell you, Kavin?”
“It tells me she needs more mates, to share the sickness. Mating bites, to be specific. It could be they will both recover with only one more mate in the bond. It could be they need two.”
“Or all of us,” Thorn said, his face betraying none of his feelings.
Altair’s eyes fluttered shut. “We could all die together, linked by the bonds.”
“Yes,” I replied, “if we—”
Thorn cut me off. “She should have died before now. Even half a dose is almost always fatal in ten minutes. Icarus’s wyvern is stronger than a normal man.”
Outside the door, Talon’s voice added, “Wyverns aren’t immortal. But we can overcome most poisons. Our blood burns them out.”
“And she is at least part wyvern,” I said, thinking. “Her wings. And her body is so hot… Yes. It could work. We might all live.”
Valerie broke in. “You must mate her. I’ll guard the doorway with the warlord.” Naari handed her a small cup of water, and she mixed half of Thorn’s cofi root in it, spooning it into Icarus’s lax mouth and working his jaw to make him swallow it. Thorn held Roya’s head up, doing the same for her. Most of the mixture fell to the covers, staining the clean bedding.
“If she doesn’t wake, she can’t consent,” Thorn murmured. “I won’t rape her. I won’t take her choice from her, Kavin.”
“Not even to save her life?” I asked. “Not even if she could tell you yes, if she were awake?”
“Not if it means the death of the world,” he answered, staring directly into my eyes. “I vowed to protect her. I know this woman better than I know my own soul. No one will take her choices from her; she would rather die.”
“You can’t take her choice,” Valerie said, “Omega, remember? If she doesn’t accept you, the Goddess seals her womb.”
Altair released a shuddering sob. “What can I do?” I took his hand in mine and wiped his tears from his cheek with one thumb, feeling my father’s eyes on my back as I did so. I could almost hear what he would say, if we had been alone. How he would mock me for being so soft.
I stared into Altair’s face, seeing nothing but acceptance and need there. “Help me build her nest. If she wakes… then Thorn will claim her first, then you. She doesn’t want me. She told me as much, that I had deceived her and betrayed her by hiding what my father did to her. I’ll only mate her if there’s no other choice.”
“We all have choices,” Altair said. “I would be proud to stand alongside our Omega with you.”
“As would I,” Thorn agreed, glancing up from Roya’s side. My eyes filled with tears—another sign that I wasn’t as strong an Alpha as my father expected—but at this point, I didn’t care. Because Roya’s eyelashes had fluttered.
“Give her more cofi root,” I whispered. “She’s responding.”
“So is Icarus,” Valerie called out. “Should I take him outside—”
“No!” I shouted, then lowered my voice. “He’s her mate. She’ll need him nearby. Might sense him.”
Valerie hesitated, checking Icarus’s skin and breathing. “He’s doing much better. But this is no place for me. I’ll guard this room with Wulfram and King Talon. You boys? Take care of my…” A sob burst free, but she mastered it. “Take care of her for me.”
“We will,” I promised. “If it is within our power, we will save her.”
THORN
Voices buzzed around me like horseflies, distracting me from the only focus I should ever have. The only one I cared about.
My little queen. Altair lifted the cup to her lips, and we both stopped breathing as her tongue crept out, licking at the liquid. It was bitter, and a tiny crinkle appeared on her brow.
“Roya?” I murmured, leaning close and tucking her tangled golden hair behind one ear. “Can you hear me?”
The crinkle reemerged, and her tongue darted out. Altair rushed to get some fresh water for her. After she had taken a single swallow, she panted, her brow furrowed with pain.
“Thorn?” she managed to say. “Am I… dying?”
“No,” I said, ignoring the tears that rolled down my face. “Kavin found a way to save you. One chance. But… but you would have to agree to it. And I don’t want you to—”
